


A Better Place, And All That

by frecklesandwings



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 15.20 coda, 15x20, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Happy Ending, Heaven, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklesandwings/pseuds/frecklesandwings
Summary: “I got a dog. After Chuck and everything.”Cas smiles softly.“The stuff you said…” Dean tries as hard as he can. He owns it to Cas. “It mattered, you know? It changed everything.”Dean and Cas meet in Heaven. There's some stuff Dean needs to say.___________________________________________________________________
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 34
Kudos: 603
Collections: SPN Finale "Destiel is CANON" Collection





	A Better Place, And All That

Dean dries the last of the glasses and places it back on the shelf.

He takes a long look around the empty Roadhouse. He gets it. Why that’s the place.

The noise from his welcome party still rings in his ears. To see the place empty again - it’s scary for a second. Did he just imagine it all?

But then he sees the open beer bottles, Ash’s computer, Charlie’s jacket left behind on a stool. He thinks of what Bobby said. The heaven he deserves.

 _It’s okay_ , he tells himself. _It’s real_. Kinda. But is it?

He walks around setting the stools straight. He’s keeping his hands busy because if he doesn’t he’s afraid he might fuck it up.

He just saw everybody again. He used to keep a list of names in his head, he’d go through it every day, sometimes as a punishment, other times as a push to get out of bed. His mom. Bobby. Ellen and Jo. Charlie. Ash. All the ones he couldn’t save - turns out they’ve been saved anyway.

And it’s not only Jack he has to thank for that - but he doesn’t know where to start with that.

“Cas,” Dean tries, “You got your ears on?”

Dean hasn’t heard that noise - wings, Cas’ wings - in years.

“Hello Dean.”

Dean lets out a sigh of relief to see that Cas is still… Well, it’s still Cas. Trenchcoat and all.

“You missed the party.” Dean immediately regrets not opening with something else.

“I didn’t want to overwhelm you,” Cas offers.

It’s like walking on eggshells all over again. For some reason, Dean thought it might be easier here. When Bobby told him about Cas, he let himself go there. But now the words are stuck in his throat again.

“You should have had more time,” Cas says. Almost angry. Dean wants to punch him. Even now, even after all of it - Cas still wants to give him more.

“Yeah, well,” Dean shrugs, “Don’t sweat it. It’s pretty cosy up here. Folks seemed happy to see me.”

“We would have waited.”

“Cas -“ Dean tries again.

Cas lets him.

He chickens out.

“What’s with the trenchcoat?”

Cas gives him a strange look. He fixes the trenchcoat, as if there’s actually something wrong with it. Dean laughs, softly.

“I mean - it’s just strange you still need a vessel. Here, I mean. I thought you’d be - light or something.”

Cas seems disheartened by that.

“Not that I mind,” Dean backtracks. “I’m just… I don’t know, man. It’s all so weird.”

Cas nods.

“Of course. It will take time.”

“But Cas, this thing you and Jack made… Hell of a job. I mean it. It’s what it should have been, you know? A better place and all that.”

“Like I said last time, you inspired me.”

Dean clears his throat. When did Cas get so smooth?

“I got a dog. After Chuck and everything.”

Cas smiles softly.

“The stuff you said…” Dean tries as hard as he can. He owns it to Cas. “It mattered, you know? It changed everything.”

And it did, it really did. Dean can’t even fathom how much it pierced right through him, to the very core of who he aspired to be.

Cas nods, solemnly.

“Good.”

“We should have told you, me and Sam, that you mattered. We should have known about the deal, we should have checked up on you more,” Dean says. “But mostly, I should have said it back.”

It’s out before he can control it. Swallow it. Silence it.

“Because it wasn’t right, you going out like that. Thinking - thinking it was enough. It wasn’t. It still isn’t.”

And if Cas seemed in control before, Dean can see it now. The uncertainty. The turmoil just underneath.

Dean takes a step forward, swinging his arms, grasping on air.

“You saved the world, Cas. And you saved me. Hell, more times than I can count. And I love you for it.”

It’s like a rush, like slamming the brakes a second too late.

“I love you for all of it. I love you.”

It’s not scary at all after he says it. It’s unfathomable, ridiculous, world-shattering. But it’s not scary. It’s just right. And the coy smile Cas gives him - yeah, there’s that too.

“And you can have me, of course you can have me,” Dean adds, “If you still want me. If you even can. I don’t -”

Cas nods and he just looks so radiant.

“Good, that’s - that’s good,” Dean snickers, “What do you say we go for a ride? Give me the full tour?”

Cas puts out his hand. Dean takes it.

“Anything you wish,” Cas says.

___________________________________________________________________

Companion to [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27678125).


End file.
